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Monday, July 14, 2014

Monday, July 14, 2014

Tennessee Aquarium Announces First Penguin Chick of 2014

The Tennessee Aquarium's first penguin chick of 2014 at two days old

There’s a fluffy new face in the Tennessee Aquarium’s Penguins’ Rock
exhibit. Aviculturists welcomed the new chick to the colony in June. The
proud parents, “Chaos” and “Merlin,” stay busy snuggling their baby in
the nest and seem to enjoy showing it off to everyone.

“Both parents have very laid back personalities, which is helpful when
we need to do weight checks and clean the nest,” said senior
aviculturist Amy Graves. “They’re also a great parental team. Merlin
serves as protector and Chaos does a great job feeding.”

Chaos certainly keeps busy since this tiny bird has a giant appetite.
Aquarium guests can have fun eavesdropping on this family. A microphone
inside the exhibit picks up the chick’s vocalizations whenever it begs
to be fed, which seems to be almost constantly lately. The sounds of the
colony are audible throughout Penguins’ Rock. But, mom responds to the
begging and appears to be keeping pace. Her baby consistently weighs in
at the high end of the healthy range during veterinary exams. “Baby
penguins should experience rapid growth,” said Graves. “We track each
chick’s progress through frequent weigh-ins and compare the results to
the ranges we know are considered healthy. Since this penguin is staying
pretty pudgy, it’s clear that the parents are doing a great job with
feeding.”

Macaroni chick at 16 days old

The Aquarium’s penguin experts hope this “big mac” sets a good example
for the chicks that follow it. Both in demeanor and rapid growth.

Last year aviculturists had their hands full supplementing feedings for a
couple of chicks up to five times each day when sluggish weight gains
indicated the parents were not delivering enough nutrition on their own.

Aviculturist Loribeth Aldrich says even though the chick is very vocal,
it seems to have inherited its parent’s demeanor. “He’s pretty laid-back
and easygoing,” said Aldrich. “The chick doesn’t mind being handled
during exams or being photographed.”

Photo with Aviculturists Amy Graves and Loribeth Aldrich

This is quite a switch from “Pepper,” another Macaroni who was also the
Aquarium’s very first baby penguin hatchling in 2009. “She was a feisty
bird almost from the day she hatched,” said Aldrich.

Earlier this year, Pepper and ten other penguins that were reared at the
Aquarium were moved to other institutions accredited by the Association
of Zoos and Aquariums. They will have the opportunity to have offspring
of their own while bolstering the overall genetic diversity of the
Macaroni and Gentoo population in human care. This transfer also affords
the Aquarium’s colony more flipper room during the breeding season.

This new Macaroni penguin is the first for the 2014 season and it’s
possible that aviculturists will remain very busy this season with
additional chicks.

Visitors can see the new chick inside an acrylic “playpen” on the
right-hand side of the exhibit. It will remain inside this protective
barrier for several more weeks before it will be allowed to roam outside
the nest. “Penguins need their waterproof swim feathers before they are
ready to go out on their own,” said Graves. “Right now, the chick is
still dependent on mom and dad, but they seem to like that just fine.”

New macaroni chick with parents Chaos (L) and Merlin (R)

The chick’s gender will be determined during a blood test later this year. At that time, a Facebook contest is planned to find the perfect name for him or her.

Guests who may want a “bird’s eye” view during nesting season, can choose to add the Ocean Journey Backstage Pass
to their regular Aquarium admission. This behind-the-scenes experience
allows guests into one of the “Keepers Only” areas to see the nesting
penguins, eggs and at least one plump little penguin.

Live Blackfooted Penguins in HD - Monterey Bay Aquarium

Aquarium of the Pacific Live Penguin Cam

Listen to the Gentoo Purr

The Torgersen Island Penguin Camera

The Penguin Camera is located on Torgersen Island (64°46’S, 64°04’W), off the coast of Anvers Island and less than a mile from Palmer Station. Torgersen Island is home to a colony of Adélie penguins numbering approximately 2,500. This camera is seasonal and operates primarily from October to February, the Adélie breeding season. The camera is solar-powered and may sometimes experience brief outages due to inclement weather. School classrooms and other educational demonstrations will often take control of the camera, moving it to gain better views of the colony.